Ironing machine



W. J. ASHER IRONING MACHINE Feb. 5, 1946.

Filed Feb. 23, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 5, 1946. w. J. ASHER IRONING MACHINE Filed Feb. 2s, 193s 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 m. w w. uw

William Jf;

W. J. ASHER IRONING MACHINE Feb. 5, 1946.

Filed Feb. 23, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 gmc/Mb@ Feb. 5, 1946. w. J. AsHER ,IRONING MACHINE Filed Feb. 25.1958 5 sheets-sheet 4 W. J. ASHER IRONING MACHINE Feb. 5, 1946.

Filed Feb. 23, 1958 5 sheets-sheet 5 Patented Feb. 5, 1946 s PAT ENT. OFFICE IRONING MACHINE William J. Asher, Colorado Springs, Colo., assignor .to The Prosperity Company, Inc., Syracuse,

N. Y., a corporation of New York 3 Claims.

The present invention relates to power driven Application February 23, 1938, Serial No. 192,155

ironing machines and `particularly to machines I of this class in which th'e ironing operations are carried out upon steam heated drums or cylinders.

In my Patent No. 1,809,467, granted June 9,

1931, there is disclosed a power operated ironing machine of this class particularly suitable for use i employed in conjunctionwith the aprons and drums to facilitate the handling-ofl the articles.- While the machine disclosed and claimed in the aforementioned patent has been found to be emi nently suitable for accomplishing its intended purposes, I have discovered, as a result of further experimentation, th'at by making certain changes in and to the various mechanisms incorporated therein, by rearranging certain of its elements,

and by incorporating certain additional parts of novel design, an improved machine of increased efiiciency in operation can be produced while at the same time the cost of manufacture is decreased.

The invention embodies several novel features of considerable practical importance including an improved mechanismfor controlling the movements of the several padded rollers a group of which are associated with each of the ironing cylinders. Such mechanism comprises a tension spring connecting at all times a central adjusting member and a roll carrying rocker, in combination with a thrust rod housed within the spring and designed to transmit the thrust of the adjusting member to the rocker.

Av furth'er feature of the improved machine that minor changes in th'e design and arrange.-

ment of the component elements of th'e invention may be readily made without losing the advantages thereof.

A feature of the present machine is a device or mechanism for effecting dislodgment of articles from the first apron at the point where this comprises the combination, with an ironing cylapron is supposed to discharge such articles onto the second apron, the means provided effecting dislodgment of suchA articles despite the tendency of such articles to cling to the aprons.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a side view of the entire machine;

Figure 2 is a rather diagrammatic view which corresponds approximately to a longitudinal ver- ,j

tical section through th'e machine taken inside of a side frame, showing the arrangement of cyl-l inders, aprons, tapes, pressure rollers and tape and apron guide rollers; l

Figure 3 is a partial longitudinal section through the machine at one end thereof, showing the article feeding mechanism in detail;

Figure 4 is a section on line I-l of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a section on line 5 5 of Figure 3;

.Figure r6 is a section on line 6-6 of Figure 5;

Figure "I is a section on line 1 1 of Figure, 3;

Figure 8 is a side elevation of portion of a doffing bar showing attached doiiing blades;

Figure 9 is a View, partially in side elevation, and partially in section, of one of the pressure rollers and its adjusting means;

Figure 10 is a perspective view of a portion of one end of the machine, showing details of the feed mechanism;

' Figure 1l is a side view of a portion of the mechanism illustrated in Figure 10.

It will be understood that all of the operating parts of the machine are mounted in a suitable frame of such size and weight that these parts are adequately supported, the frames being of such character, however, that the machine as an entirety occupies a minimum of floor space.

One of the side members of the frame is indicated at Ill inv the drawings there being two of these side frame members, substantially identical, and which preferably rest upon a flat base il, being integral with or rigidly secured to such base. For the purpose of convenience in manufacture both base and side frame members may be formed in two or more parts if desired.

The ironing cylinders are indicated `at lfand t3, respectively, cylinder I2 .being hereinafter designated the first cylinder inasmuch as the articles to be ironed are first'fed to this cylinder and cylinder I3 being hereinafter designated the second cylinder. Each cylinder is hollow and .means is provided for introducing live steam `into, the interior .thereof so that its cylindrical outer surface may be heated to the temperature desired for ironing purposes. Each cylinder is likewise provided with aligned axially projecting trunnions at its ends and by means of which it is rotatably supported in bearings mounted upon the side members of the frame, two trunnions being indicated at I4 and I5 in Figure 2 and bearings at I6 and I1 in Figure 1.

Associated with the rst cylinder are seven pressure rollers \38, 39, 4u, 4I and 42 with the second apron,

and a guide roller 43 serves as a common guide roller for both aprons at one point. Also associated with the first apron is a combination tensioning and ,guide roller 44 and with the second apron a combination tensioning and guide roller 45. The directions of movement of the two aprons along the endless paths which they follow are indicated by arrows in Figure 2 and it will be perceived that the aprons are brought together at a point adjacent pressure roller 23, passed downwardly intermediate the cylinders I2 and I3 in close proximity to each other so as to maintain therebetween, andl without slippage, an article or garment, and continue `to move together until after passage over guide roller 43, where they again diverge, pressure rollers 22, 25, 26, and 21 serving tol guide the aprons while they are moving in close relationship along parallel paths. A series of feed tapes are indicated at 46, a plurality of endless feeding cords at 41 and a series of parallel article guiding tapes at 48, a nal series of endless tapes being indicated at 49 adjacent the discharge end oi the machine. Domng mechanisms are indicated generally at 50 and 5I. From an inspection of Figure 2, in which ligure the directions of rotation of the cylinders are indicated by arrows, and the directions of movement of the aprons and tapes are also indicated by arrows, the path of movement of an article through the ironing machine may be generally understood and will now be described.

Thus the article is rst placed upon the upper reach of the feeding tapes 46, being passed inwardly toward the surface of the ilrst cylinder I2 by these tapes so that its leading edge is projected into close proximity to the surface of the cylinder, turning downwardly so as to be gripped between the apron 3I and the cylinder surface.

`It is then connected around the pressure roller 24 with the aid of the tapes 48 and moves upwardly, still resting upon the apron 3|, until it passes over pressure roller 23 and starts downwardly between the cylinders. `At this point it is engaged on its upper surface by the second apron 32 and is tightly held between the two aprons moving along parallel paths untiiit passes around and over the guide roller 43. At this point the aprons diverge, the second apron, carrying the article, moving downwardly and around the pressure roller 21, into contact with the cyly inder I3, then around the cylinder to the pres- V.

sure roller 28, thence upwardly to and over guide roller 42 from which point it moves again to guide roller 33. The article of course is ironed a second time whilepassing around cylinder I3 and is removed from the surface of the second cylinder by domng mechanism 5I, passing onto the delivery tapes 43 and thence upwardly and outwardly to the point oi' discharge indicated at D. The operation'of the machine is continuous and articles may be fed thereto in rapid succession. Advantageously the second cylinder, and

l the second apron. are drivennat speeds very slightly greater than the speed at which the first cylinder and apron are driven. During their travel. over the surfaces of the heated cylinders the moisv ture of `each garment is completely driven oifand when the garment or article reaches Athe final point of discharge D it is completely ironed and in Figure 9 comprises essentially a tension spring ready to be folded and packaged for delivery.

Each pressure roller illustrated is of the padded type and provided with axialtrunnions at its ends, each such trunnion being housed within a bearing integral with a rocker 56. Each rocker 56 is pivoted at 51 to the frame of the machine and the rockers are so disposed with reference to the axes of the cylinders lthat their free ends may be oscillated toward and away from the adjacent cylinder axis so that, by simultaneously rocking the pair oi'rcckers which support the trunnions of any/particular pressure roller such roller may be moved toward or away from the axis of lthe associated cylinder or, in other words, moved from operative to inoperative position as desired.

Mechanism is provided for simultaneously moving from operative to inoperative lposition, or vice versa, all pressure rollers of the entire machine and this mechanism will now be described. Mounted upon each trunnion I4 of the first cylinder I2 is a ring 58, ring 56 being freely rotatable on the trunnion and being normally stationary. -The free ends of the several rockers 56 associated with the pressure rollers are connected to the rings 58 so that, when rings 53 are ro' tated, rockers 56 will be simultaneously actuated. All of the rockers 56 associated with the second cylinder I3 are connected to the rings 58 also associated with said cylinder by means of 'spring devices such as indicated in Figure 9. Pressure rollers i9, 2li, 2| and 22 associated with the ilrst cylinder are likewise connected to the corresponding rings. The connecting means disclosed 60 of helical type within the end windings lor convolutions of which are threaded the externally threaded blocks 6I and 62, the spring ends being thus permanently connected to. these blocks. Integral with block 6I is a rod-like extension 63 the free end of which is connected by means of a pivot 64 with the rotatable ring 56. Block 62 is connected to the free end of the associated rocker 56 by means of an eye bolt 65 one end of which is pivotally connected to the block as shown and the shank of which extends through an aperture formed in rocker 56, the shank of the bolt being threaded and having thereon securing nuts 61 which maintain a detinite relationship between the bolt and rocker while at the same time permitting an adjustment l accesar tension in spring 60. `Within the spring 60 isa ube 68 which may be rigidly connected to either block or 82 or simply freely retained within the of the bolt to be made to increase .or decrease tha spring, as indicated in Figure 9. During opera- 5 ders with which the pressure rollers are associated. I'he degree of tension may be varied by adjusting the position of rings 58, as will be clear, and the rollers caused to bear more or less heavily up'on thev apron, as may be desired. When the machine is stopped or shut down the control rings 58 may be rotated in such manner as to first relieve the tension in springs 60 and thereafter further rotated to cause/A the blocks 6| to strike the adjacent ends of thrust rods or tubes 68, forcing these rods into engagement with blocks 62` and thus positively thrusting the freeends of rockers 56faway from the cylinders, these rockers carrying. bearings 55 anclthe pressure rollers with them. Pressure of. the rollersupon the apron may be relieved in this manner so that .the aprons are not tightly engaged with the heated cylinders while the cylinderslare not in rotation and hence will not be scorched.

As previously explained, the doffing devices 5F30 and 5| underlie the pressure rollers 24 and 28 respectively and Iv therefore mount these pressure rollers in such manner that they may not only be moved radially of the respective cylinders with which they are associated,l in the manner and by the means above described', but also in such manner that they may be bodily displaced upwardly with reference` to the dofilng devices in order that access may be had to these devices for inspection and repair. 'I'hus the rockers 56 which carry the bearings in which the trunnions or pressure rollers 2'4 and 28 arerotatably sup-r ported are not pivotally connected directly to the main frame, as are the rockers upon which the other pressure rollers are mounted, but are pivotally connectedl to sub-frame structures which structures are in turn pivotally supported in the main frame. For a clear understanding of the manner in which the pressure roller` 24 is supported reference may be had to Figures 10 and 1l of the drawings. The sub-frame upon which pressure roller 24 is mounted by means of its rockers 56 comprises the bracket-like side members 15, each pivotally connected to the adjacent side of the main frame by a pivot, one of which is indicated at 16, the two members being rigidly interconnected by means of a tape guide bar 11. Each sub-frame side member 15 has formed therein a plurality of apertures 18, disposed along an arc of a circle centered on the axis of pivot pin 16. The adjacent main' frame member is provided with an aperture 18 with which 'any one of the. apertures 18 may be brought into register by swinging the sub-frame about its pivotal axis and, by inserting a pin 80 into aligned apertures 18 and 18 the members 15 may be positively locked in any one of several positions. At its lower end each-side portion 15 of the sub-frame is provided with a thickened portion or boss 8| having an aperture 82 therein for the reception of the end of a tilting lever, shown in dotted lines at I83 in Figure 16, and by meansof which an operator can apply to the sub-frame suflicient force to tilt it to the desired insertable or removable and is inserted into the aperture 82 only when the pressure roller 24 is to be lifted. By its use the sub-frame 'may be .lowered into the position in which it is shown` in full lines in Figure 11. or may be rocked in a clockwise direction until it occupies the position in which it is shown in dotted lines vin thisr ligure. The sub-frame is. normally retained in its lowermost position by means of a locking bolt 85 one end of which is pivotally connected to v nut 8'1 on the threaded bolt 85./ prevents clockwise movement ofthe sub-frame. An adjusting screw 88 has threaded engagement with a second aperture formed in lug 86 and disposed parallel to the aperture which receives bolt 85, the lower end of this adjusting screw 88 bearing upon the main frame and its upper` end having thereon a-lock nut 89. By the` conjoint f action of the securing bolt 85 and adjusting screw 88 the sub-frame can be maintained rigidly in 'a desired position of permanent angular adjustment with respect to the main frame. Naturally A tape guiding roller is indicated at su and 1t V will be perceived that the roller `extensions or trunnions 90' are mounted in bearings 9|, fixed on the ends of rocking arms 82, pivotally mounted upon pins 83, iixed in bushings 84 rigid with the sub-frame side 15 at. their upper extremities. Roller 9|! may therefore be swung upwardly about the aligned axes of pins 93 and such movement will occur when the sub-frame is rocked and pressure roller 24 elevated, roller 98 moving from the position in which it is shown in full lines in Figure 11 to the position in which it is shown in dotted lines in this figure. Rollen 90 comprises a guide roller for the series oi spaced parallel Atapes 48 which tapes also are guided so as to move along closed endless paths between pressure roller 24, between doiling bar 98, and between upper guide rod or roller 88. The domng bar 88 is ,circular in cross-section and its ends |08 are 'xed in the side members of the main frame. Upon the bar are mounted the individual doiiing blades |8| each blade having an elongated horivzontally disposed portion 18|' with an edge ||||2 adapted to rest against the smoothcyl1indrical Asurface'of cylinder |2 and having a reduced portion or shank I0 I3 which is curved to encircle rod 88 and the end of which is secured by screws |02 60 to the dolng bar.' The doiiing blades are fabricated of spring steel and are quite flexible. The initial tension of the blades is such that their upper edges ||l|2 are always lightly pressed against the cylindrical surface ofthe cylinder I2 so as to intercept and peel off from this cylinder articles which tend to cling to the same and to direct these articles onto the tapes 48, by means of which, in conjunction with the apron 3|, they are carried around the pressure roller 24. It will be observed from an inspection of Figure 8 that tapes 48 pass between the shanks ||l|3 of the doillng blades ||I| so that these portions of the extent about-its pivotal axis. Lever 88 is freely 75 Whenever it is necessary that access be had to l drawings. y

is supported from the angle bar upon the reduced the doillng blades the sub-frame carrying rockers 58 upon which roller 24 is mounted is raised toits dotted line position (Figure 11), thus providing lample clearance. It will be observed that there is ysecured to the upper face of the tape guiding bar 11, which upper face is flat, one margin of an upwardly concave plate |08 which extends toward the dolng bar. The plate |08 intercepts any downhanging portions of the garments or other articles passing around pressure roller 24, and which may fall downwardly between the tapes 48, and prevents these smaller article portions, such for instance as apron strings and the like, from becoming entangled in the article feeding mechanism located just below 'this pressure roller.

The article feeding mechanism includes the series of parallel endless tapes 48 previously mentioned, these tapes passing around the tape driving roller |01 and around the substantially horizontally arranged feed table I 08. The ends of roller |01 are mounted in bearings |09 which bearings in turn are supported upon the ends of rods IIO slidably mounted in apertures formed in brackets each bracket being provided with a set screw I|2 for frictlonally retaining the associated rod |I in any position to which it may be adjusted. In this manner the axis of the tape driving roller |01 may be adjusted with respect to the feed table |08 and the tapes 48 placed under the desired tension. Each bracket I is pivotally mounted upon a pin' II3 extending laterally from the adjacent side member of the main frame so that it may swing angularly in a ver- .tical plane. Each bracket is provided with a lateral extension having an adjusting screw I4 passing through its" outer end, the lower end of which screw rests upon the upper surface of the adjacent portion of the main frame, the screw being likewise/provided with a lock nuty l5. By rotating the screws |I4 the brackets I/ may be elevated or depressed as desired and/ the angularity of the feed table modified /within limits. Connecting brackets III is an angle bar |I8, this angle bar immediately underlying the feed table |08.v

As maybe perceived from Figure '1 the ends of l the feed table |08 are secured to the angle bar by means of screw bolts, one of which is indicated at ||1, spacers I I8 interposed between the ends of the feed table and the angle bar spacing these members apart as shown clearly in the Intermediate its ends lthe feed plate upper ends of a plurality of screws I9 which have threaded engagement with interiorly threaded apertures formed in the angle bar and each of which is likewise provided with a'lock nut 20. By looseningthe lock nuts |20 the screws may be vertically adjusted and a longitudinal curvature (transversely of the machine) may be imparted to the feed table. The adjusting screws likewise comprise tape guiding members, their upper ends being rounded and smooth and a tape 46 passing between each pair of adjacent screws. In practice the screws H0 are so adjusted that the feed table is longitudinally curved or arched upwardly from its ends to its midpoint for a purpose to be hereinafter set forth.k Roller |01 has aV sprocket' and chain connection to a driving mechanism, for

instance being driven from the cylinder |2,by

means of sprocket I2 I, chain |22 and sprocket |23. 1 l'I'he forward longitudinal edge of the feed table |08 is rounded and comprises a guide surface around which the tapes move in order to effect reversal of direction of movement. A feed roller is indicated at |25, this roller being thickly Padded but being relatively light in weight, the ends of the roller being mounted in bearings carried by tilting levers, one of which is Indicated at |26 and is shown to be pivoted at |21 upon a standard |28 (Fig. 3) mounted upon the end of the feed table. At its opposite end lever |28 is provided with a set screw |30 the lower end of which is adapted to strike the plunger I3 of a switch |32. This switch is included in the circuit for the driving motor |33 and opens the circuit when the plunger |3I is actuated by the lever |28.

Disposed transversely of the machine is a serpentine guide wire |34, this wire being positioned in close proximity to the surface of the first cylinder I2 and comprising a guide means for the plu-- rality of parallel cords 41 which extend around the feed roller |25 and are driven by frictional engagement with said roller. It is the function of the cords 41 to prevent upward deflection of the leading edge of any article fed to the machine, due to possible adherence of such article to the surface of roller |25,- and to ensure that this edge first contacts with the cylinder I2 when moving downwardly, thus preventing folding and wrinkling of the forward margin of any article fed to the machine.

In the normal operation of the feedingmechanism the leading edge of an article to be ironed, such for instance as a sheet, is laid 'smoothly over the tapes 48 and is moved forwardly with these positively driven tapes. eventually passing under feed roller |25, thence into contact with cylinder I2, and is immediately thereafter gripped between the cylinder and the associated apron. The padded roller 24 is cylindrical whereas the feed table underlying the same is longitudinally arched i. e., is arched transversely of the machine so that the midportion of the roller bears more heavily upon the table than do its ends. As the feed roller |25 is not positively driven, but on the other hand is merely frictionally driven by the work, it will be perceived that it opposes the forward movement of the central portion of a piece of work into the machine to a greater extent than it opposes the lateral portions of such piece, or, in other words, exerts a greater frictional retarding force against the central portion of an article being fed than against its lateral portions. As a result of this central retardation of the work the edgesI of wide pieces go forward more freely and the work as it comes from the machine will be much more likely t0 have its original shape. found that this facilitates ironing without wrinkling especially where, due to previous washing and extracting operations, the edges of the sheet have been stretched to a greater extent than the body thereof. Should it happen that a piece of Work be delivered to the feed table in folded condition so that several thicknesses of the work pass under the roller |25 simultaneously this roller will be elevated to such an extent that the set screw |30 will depress the plunger 3| ofl switch |32 and thus open the circuit which includes the so that it may` be bodily elevated when necessary.

to give access to the doffingdevice. The rockers 58 which carry pressure roller 28 are therefore not means of which it is tied to a lug |4| comprising a portion of the main frame and is likewise provided with an adjusting thrust screw |42, member |38 being rigidly held in any position of adjustment to which it may be moved by the coaction oi the securing and adjusting bolts just described. Members |38 may likewise be provided with apertures for the reception of lifting levers, as in the case of the sub-frame at the opposite end of the machine previously described so that the pressure roller may be manually elevated by means of such levers and held in elevated position while adjustment of the dofiing mechanism is being effected.

It has been previously explained that the first and second aprons travel in parallelism from the combination pressure and guide roller 23 to a point just beyond the guide roller 43, frictionally holdingbetween them the pieces of work which have already been ironed upon the iirst cylinder and which are next to be subjected to the ironing action of the second cylinder'. After passing around the guide roller 43 the two aprons move along divergent paths, as clearly shown in Figure 2. As there is some tendency for the work 4to continue to adhere to the iirst apron instead of falling upon the second apron as intended, so as to be carried around the second cylinder, means is provided for vibrating that reach of the first apron which lies intermediate the guide rollers 43 and 31. Likewise means is provided for vibrating that reach of the second apron which lies between the combination guide and pressure roller 28 and guide roller 42 in order that any articles which may tend to cling thereto shall be shaken loose 80 as to fall upon the delivery tapes 49.

In operation the cylinders i2 and 3 are driven from motor |33 by means oi the gearing shown, including main gears and |1I, and pinions |12 and |13 rigid with these gears, the pinions meshing with teeth formed on or secured to the cylinders respectively. Main gear |10 is ebnnected to motor |33 by pinion |15, sprocket Ill,

and chain |11. By meansv of a chain |18 and sprocket |19 roller 39 is driven from main gear |1| and thus a driving force imparted to the second apron. The iirst apron `is driven only because of its contact with the first cylinder and second apron. All of the pressure rollers are driven frictionally only.

Having thus described the invention, what is now claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In an ironing machine, in combination, .a ironing cylinder mounted for rotation about a fixed axis, an endless apron associated therewith, a roller disposed parallel to the cylinder axis and around which the apron passes after leaving the cylinder to reverse its direction of movement,

doffing means below the roller, a series of endless tapes for cooperating with the apron in passing articles removed from the cylinder by the doing means, around the roller and upwardly, guide means for said tapes including a member disposed parallel to the cylinder axis and disposed between the inner and outer reaches of said tapes, and aV shield mounted on said member, for the purpose set forth.

2. AIn an. ironing machine, in combination, an ironing cylinder, a padded pressure roller, a rocker upon which the pressure roller is mounted', and means for controlling the action of the roller comprising a tension spring anchored at one end to a movable member positioned adjacent the cylinder axis and at its other end to said rocker, and a thrust rod housed within the spring but not operatively connected thereto, for transmitting the thrust of said member to said rocker.

3. An ironing machine of the class described comprising in combination, a main frame, a cylinder rotatably mounted in the frame, a doiiing bar xed in the frame, a sub-frame rockably mounted on the main frame, a. padded pressure roller carried by the sub-frame, means for moving the pressure roller toward or away from the cylinder, and a tape guide rockably mounted on the sub-frame, the pressure roller normally closely .overlying the dofng bar and the bar being ac- 

